il blog
La Vecchia Bottega is my new favorite wine bar for three reasons: it is unpretentious, well-stocked, and moderately priced. Owned by the legendary wine vendor Anacleto Bleve, La Vecchia Bottega is the predecessor to the more upscale Casa Bleve near the Pantheon (see Drinking in Rome: Wine Bars). There are many similarities between these two places including many of their wines and the quality of their cheese and salami selections, but La Vecchia Bottega is much more intimate and the service considerably more casual.
I recently visited La Vecchia Bottega with some friends. The manager greeted us warmly and led us to a table in a dining room adjacent to the entrance hall. Hundreds of Italian labels filled the shelves lining the dining room. (La Vecchia Bottega is a traditional enoteca so the price you see hanging around bottlenecks is the price you pay to take it “to go”, whereas if you sit down to drink the bottle a few more euros will be added for table service). We chose Castello Monaci’s “Piluna” Primitivo (aka Zinfandel) from Puglia. The native primitivo grape produces full-bodied, dark-fruit laden wines. To accompany this structured red, we ordered a couple of mixed cheese and salami plates. Both featured a few well chosen and high quality selections. There are other items on the menu like carpaccio and a hot dish that changes regularly.
I highly recommend La Vecchia Bottega for a light lunch or a drink before dinner. Of course, every visitor to Rome should experience Casa Bleve’s spectacular lunch buffet but when in the mood for something a bit more casual but with the same attention to quality, La Vecchia Bottega is the ideal choice.
Via S. Maria del Pianto, 9A/11
0668192210
Open Tues-Sat 10:30am-3pm, 5-10pm
Drinking in Rome: La Vecchia Bottega
Monday, November 19, 2007
